I Hope Someday You Can Eat These Chocolates
by Shashuko the Paisley Maiden
Summary: There was only one way Shion could spend Valentine's Day.


I should be working on the nine various dribbles I owe certain amazing people people and Chapter Five of "Soft," but it's Valentine's Day (when I started writing this) gorrammit, I'm doing a dribble for my OTP.

Sorry.

* * *

There was only one way Shion could spend Valentine's Day. After going out and giving her obligatory chocolates to her friends and sister (and Kasai, who did not look very much like he wanted them), the only direction to go was towards the Irie Clinic.

There was another small box of chocolates that politeness had deemed it necessary to make, for a certain doctor, but that could wait for later. At the bottom of Shion's bag, hidden by a well-placed jacket, was a book she wanted to read and the biggest box of chocolates Shion could carry. Ironically, the person she had made them for probably wouldn't be able to eat them, but it was the thought that counted.

And maybe, just maybe, he'd wake up in time for White Day. If she was lucky, he'd wake up _on_ White Day, which was only a month from now and wouldn't that be _such_ a nice present?

Shion blushed. Of course, Satoshi hardly knew her. There was no way he'd wake up just for her. His sister came first… and besides, it was most likely that he'd wake up long after the chocolates had gone bad and been thrown-away-and-or-secretly-eaten-by-certain-doctors. It was even more likely that he'd wake up closer to Valentine's day next year.

Looking to the left and right to see that no one who didn't work at the clinic was around, Shion slid a pass card into a slot by a door and walked down the stairs that the door revealed, making sure to close it after herself.

At the the bottom of the stairs was a hallway, and halfway down the hallway was a door. Through that door was another, shorter hallway, and then another door.

And through that door was Satoshi. Asleep like he always was, of course.

"It's Shion," Shion announced, sitting in the chair at Satoshi's bedside. "How are you?"

Of course, there was no answer.

"Coach says you're getting better, you know… that's good, isn't it?"

Silence.

"It's Valentine's Day today," Shion said quietly. "And, uh, s-since I consider you friend… though I don't know how you think about me… ah… w-well, you don't hate me or anything, do you?"

No reply. If Satoshi hated her, there was no way Shion could know right now.

"I hope you don't, because if you do then my coming here wouldn't really help much… um… anyway! I… I brought you some chocolates. Even though you can't exactly eat them right now. Just… just so you know. It's the thought that counts, right?"

Shion wished Satoshi had some way of telling her what he thought of that. Did he feel like Shion was mocking him, giving him something he couldn't use? Was he grateful for the sentiments even if he couldn't eat them? Could he even hear her?

Shion sighed and pulled the book out of her bag. "Since it's today, I thought I'd take a break from the usual reading and read this book to you… I might read the whole thing to you as long as my throat doesn't get sore and Coach doesn't make me leave, but… Satoko said you like this story, so I hope I'm not too much of a bother to you."

As expected, Satoshi made no signs of approving or disapproving having an entire book read to him.

"It's _The Princess Bride_ by S. Morgenstern, the abridged version. I couldn't find the full version, I'm sorry…"

Shion began to read. She'd never read the book before, so it wasn't as familiar to her as it probably was as Satoshi. She hoped she wasn't ruining the book for him.

Soon, Shion was so absorbed into the story that she'd almost forgotten she was reading to Satoshi, and began to read more to herself than to him.

"_'What is it that you have worth living for?'_" Shion read aloud, wanting to know as much as Miracle Max did. "_'Why should I revive you?'_"

"True… love…"

Shion looked up. "Who said that? Coach, is that you…?"

Apon a quick look around Satoshi's room, there seemed to be nobody there except for Shion and Satoshi himself.

"Maybe I'm imagining things," she said to herself. She looked back down at the book and was about to start reading again--

"You're not."

Shion looked around again. Except for Satoshi, no one was in the room with her.

"Down here, Shion."

The only other person who could have said that was… the only other person in the room.

"Satoshi-kun…?" Shion looked at Satoshi again. He was smiling…

"Happy Valentine's Day, Shion."


End file.
